Independence
By the time Francis Ona and the various factions of the Bougainville Revolutionary Army permanently laid down their arms on 30 April 1998, it is estimated that more than 15,000 Bougainvillians had lost their lives.
The decade long conflict – part war of independence, part civil war - had been the most bloody and costly war in the Pacific since WWII. At the turn of the millennium, Bougainville was a place of devastation.
Bougainville has long loomed large in the consciousness of many Australians.
Continue reading "Bougainvillians deserve the chance to say “it’s mine”" »
Most Australians have a vague awareness of the countries of the Pacific. Given their significance to our national interest these countries should get a better run in our public discourse.
But when it comes to taking the pulse on awareness about the territories of the Pacific the result is a very flat line. Ask a friend what they know of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and I’ll guarantee you’ll be met with a blank stare and furrowed brow.
Yet the territories of the Pacific contain some important economic opportunities for Australia. They are also the world’s sovereignty laboratory.
Continue reading "Some enchanted evening, we’ll acknowledge Sth Pacific" »
Latest 2 of 5 comments
View all comments-
stephen says:
Agree entirely, and if the Tourism industry in Oz would like to get the ball rolling, they could offer the Govt. 10% royalties every time cashed-up bunnies from Europe - east and west - get sick of the beach and want to go shopping at Myers. Here. Read more »
-
MF says:
Totally awesome scuba diving over there. Be nicer if we didn’t have to suffer convoluted and expensive flight routes though. Read more »
Facebook Recommendations
Read all about it
Punch live
Up to the minute Twitter chatter
In other Olympian news, Steph rice is advertising Sunrice Chinese style Mongolian chicken. Think about that for a tick
Oops, just trying to say thanks all four your follows and Hackett yarn feedback, especially the dude who called me an opinionated dipshit
@GreenJ how dare you even suggest such a thing. I'd love to blog from their traning session though about what a pack of toffs they are
Recent posts
The latest and greatest
Is there a nicotine patch strong enough for this?
Ok. I am not a leading expert in world’s best practice on prisoner rehabilitation — my experience…
A great win by Webber, but it sure as hell wasn’t sport
This morning I joined millions of other Australians in accelerating, braking, swearing and spilling coffee…
Fighting Assad one strongly worded statement at a time
This weekend’s massacre in Houla, Syria, is one of those stories that invites but doesn’t…
Nosebleed Section
choice ringside rantings
From: They must pay for one’s bitter disappointments
Michael S says:
"A teacher at Geelong Grammar had criticised her for using words that were too long, which had left her confused and had made her doubt her ability to write essays. She became ''quite distressed'' when her English marks began to fall." I can sympathise. My scholastic mentors conveyed to me a causal relationship… [read more]From: Welfare for breeders is a bonus for everyone
Change Up! says:
I have no problem paying my taxes. As a single, childless person on a very decent income, I can afford it and not have my life severely altered. Plus I understand that my taxes paying for things like schools, childcare and infrastructure is ultimately a good thing. A better community is better for me… [read more]Gentle jabs to the ribs
They must pay for one’s bitter disappointments
A private school girl’s family is sueing her elite, extremely expensive private school for not… Read more
Latest 2 of 13 comments
View all commentsAdd your comment